Cool Weather, Rain Alerts And Poor AQI: What Season Is Bengaluru Actually In?

Step outside in Bengaluru these days and the city feels undecided. The mornings are cool enough to pull out a jacket. The evenings carry a damp chill. Afternoon skies threaten rain, and air quality alerts quietly creep into weather updates.

For a city once famous for its predictable climate, Bengaluru now feels caught between seasons and struggling to define which one it is actually in. So is it winter? Are these late monsoon leftovers? Or is something else shaping the city’s weather altogether?

The Cool Weather Feels Like Winter, But Isn’t Fully There Yet

Bengaluru’s winter typically runs from December to February, marked by lower night temperatures, pleasant days and drier air. Over the past few weeks, temperatures have dipped steadily, with

daytime highs hovering around the low 20 degree Celsius and nights dropping to 15–17 degrees in some areas.

This coolness is real and measurable. Cloud cover and moisture in the air, however, are intensifying the chill effect, making it feel colder than the thermometer suggests. That is classic early winter behaviour, but with a twist.

Unlike a traditional Bengaluru winter, the air is not entirely dry, and sunshine is inconsistent. That missing crispness is key to why the season feels unfamiliar.

Rain Alerts Refuse to Go Away

What complicates the picture further is rainfall. Even though the southwest monsoon officially withdrew months ago, Bengaluru continues to see intermittent showers. These are linked to post-monsoon systems, residual moisture from the northeast monsoon, and occasional low-pressure formations over the Bay of Bengal.

The rain is not intense, but it is frequent enough to matter. Drizzles and short spells increase humidity, dampen roads and worsen traffic congestion. For residents, this creates a confusing sensory experience – cool air mixed with moisture, rather than the dry winter breeze Bengaluru is known for.

In simple terms, the city is experiencing weather spill over. The monsoon has technically ended, but it hasn’t fully let go.

Poor Air Quality Breaks the Seasonal Illusion

Normally, rain would mean cleaner air. But Bengaluru’s recent air quality tells a different story. Despite cooler temperatures and occasional showers, the city has been recording moderate to poor Air Quality Index levels, particularly for PM2.5 and PM10 pollutants.

This trend is typical for the post-monsoon and early winter period. During colder months, temperature inversion traps pollutants closer to the ground. Vehicle emissions, construction dust and industrial activity accumulate faster than they disperse.

Humidity adds another layer. Moist air prevents pollutants from dispersing efficiently, creating a persistent haze especially during mornings and late evenings. The result is a city that looks cool and feels damp, but still forces sensitive residents to limit outdoor exposure.

The Cyclone Effect

The air over Bengaluru lately seems quietly tuned to the distant churn of Cyclone Ditwah forming over the Bay of Bengal. Though the storm’s core is far away, its outer bands have been funneling moisture-rich winds inland – cloud cover, sudden drizzles and cooler breezes have followed in its wake.

The result: early-mornings that feel misty, afternoons heavy with humidity, evenings laced with damp chill, and skies that tiptoe between rain and haze. Ditwah hasn’t hit Karnataka directly, yet its atmospheric pull has already begun reshaping Bengaluru’s December weather blurring the lines between post-monsoon dampness and early-winter cool.

So What Season Is Bengaluru In Right Now?

The honest answer is that Bengaluru is in a transition phase, one that doesn’t fit neatly into calendar-defined seasons.

Right now, the city is experiencing:

• Early winter temperature patterns
• Lingering post-monsoon moisture
• Winter-triggered air pollution build up

Each factor overlaps with the other, blurring seasonal boundaries.

This is no longer unusual. Climate experts note that urban growth, reduced green cover and changing wind patterns have altered how cities experience seasons. Bengaluru, with its rapid construction and vehicle density, feels these shifts more intensely.

What This Means for Daily Life

For residents, the mixed signals mean constant adjustment. Light jackets are needed in the morning, umbrellas are useful by afternoon, and masks still make sense in the evening. Health experts advise caution for people with asthma, allergies or respiratory conditions, as colder air combined with poor AQI can trigger symptoms more easily.

Waterlogging risks persist despite lighter rainfall. And fluctuating temperatures increase the chances of viral infections, especially when people dress either too lightly or too warmly for the actual conditions.

A New Normal, Not a Passing Phase

What Bengaluru is experiencing is not a temporary weather anomaly. It is a structural shift in how seasons behave in a fast-urbanising city. Winters are less defined. Monsoons spill over. Pollution peaks in unexpected weather.

Instead of clear seasonal chapters, the city now moves through overlapping weather moods. So, when someone asks what season it is in Bengaluru right now, the answer may sound unsatisfying but it is accurate.

It’s not just winter. It’s not quite monsoon. It’s Bengaluru’s new in-between season – cool, damp, polluted and increasingly familiar.